CLAIR News February 2025
Important
News・Updates
General Information
- Call for Writers for ‘JET Kara no Tegami’
- Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Grant
- Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
- Grant for TEFL/TESOL Certification
- 2025–2026 Reappointment Procedures
- Information for JET Programme Participants Ending their Term of Appointment
- Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal
- Enrolment in Property Insurance
- Home Country Taxes
- Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants
- Registering with Your Embassy
- JET Programme Official Social Media
Safety Confirmation System & Contact Information Survey Registration
CLAIR requests that each JET Programme participant register for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey. These are two separate systems, and you should register for both using the links below.
Safety Confirmation System:
https://asp2.emc-call.jp/clair/index_en.html or
https://asp2.emc-call2nd.jp/clair/index_en.html
Your login ID and password are both the final nine digits of your JET Number, omitting the first two digits (20).
*If your contracting organisation has changed, please register your new address.
Contact Information Survey: https://goo.gl/u1gVT2
Login ID: JET Number (11 digits beginning with 20)
Password: Date of birth (YYYYMMDD)
*For JET Programme participants who were originally scheduled to arrive in Japan in 2020 or 2021, please use your pre-arrival JET number that starts with 2020 or 2021.
Emergency Pocket Guide for JET Programme Participants
To ensure your safety in Japan, please take the time to prepare in case a disaster occurs.
CLAIR has compiled an Emergency Pocket Guide for reference in the event of a disaster. Please fill out the important portions and keep the guide with you, as a disaster can occur at any time.
*CLAIR distributes the Emergency Pocket Guide during orientation for new arrivals.
Response to Safety Confirmation during Emergencies
In the event of a disaster, CLAIR will confirm the safety of JET Programme participants using the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call). It only takes a few moments to confirm your safety via the email you receive. Please respond to safety confirmation emails promptly to avoid delays in confirming the safety of every JET Programme participant in the affected area(s).
In any given year in Japan, there will be somewhere which has had an emergency warning issued. The country is also prone to large earthquakes. In the event of a large-scale earthquake, a JET Programme participant’s home country embassy or consulate will contact CLAIR regarding their safety; CLAIR responds based on information from the Safety Confirmation System. Because of this, we are asking JET Programme participants and supervisors at each contracting organisation to confirm information registered with the Safety Confirmation System and to check how to respond to a safety confirmation request should an email arrive. If you receive a safety confirmation request email, please respond to it right away.
Safety confirmation requests are sent out based on the Host Prefecture/Designated City, so participants may receive safety confirmation requests even when they are not physically near the site of a disaster. In this case, a response is still required from each individual to whom the request is sent.
- Note¹:
- As of 2022, safety confirmation checks using home telephone lines or cell phones without internet access are no longer conducted.
- Note²:
- CLAIR also provides safety confirmation simulations. Please contact the relevant person at CLAIR if you wish to request one.
Mental Health Support Resources
CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme with the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET Programme participants. This Programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 30,000 yen per year) for counselling costs incurred through consultation with mental health professionals not covered by health insurance.
The coverage period for this year is from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Documents for the subsidy should be submitted through contracting organisations no later than 4 April 2025.
*Please be aware that any applications CLAIR receives after the 4 April 2025 deadline will not be eligible for the subsidy.
JET Programme participants can also benefit from free counselling offered by CLAIR via email and Skype. If you wish to use these services, please access them using the URL below, input the ID/password, and follow the instructions for registration. Up to seven Skype sessions are available between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. We recommend starting with email, which has no limits on usage.
Web Mail and Skype Counselling
Website: https://jetcounseling.com/
Login Information:
Username: jet
(Please check the email edition of CLAIR News for the latest password.)
Call for Presenters at the April CIR Post-Arrival Orientation
CLAIR is looking for CIR participants to do a presentation about CIR work at the incoming April post-arrival orientation.
Eligibility: Current CIRs
Date: Monday, 7 April or Tuesday, 8 April
Place: Hotel Le Port Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Themes:
● Lectures/School visits
● Managing Public Relations
● Event Planning
● Free theme
Each presentation lasts for 45 minutes including a Q&A session and is conducted entirely in Japanese.
Date and time of the presentation is determined based on the chosen theme, and communicated to the presenters at a later time.
Participants choosing one of the first three themes may be given priority during the selection process.
Please ask your contracting organisation supervisor for more details about the application process. (Details were sent by CLAIR on 3 February via Notice 自国研第39号)
Application deadline: 26 February
MIC is Hosting a Booth Showcasing ‘Local Vitalization Cooperators’ at the JET Programme Career Fair!
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) is hosting a booth showcasing the ‘Local Vitalization Coordinator’ project at the 2025 JET Programme Career Fair! (15 February in Osaka, 22 February in Tokyo)
Who are ‘Local Vitalization Cooperators’?
Participants move from urban areas to an area suffering from population decline, where they conduct ‘regional cooperative activities’, such as: development, sales, and promotion of regional brands and products; work in agricultural, forestry, or fishery industries; local resident support, etc. The goal of the project is to encourage settlement in these less populated areas. Cooperators are appointed by the respective local government and are employed for a period of roughly one to three years.
MIC also hosted the ‘Seminar for Globalization with JETs’ in December 2024 which allowed participants to see Local Vitalization Cooperator activities up close.
Click here for more information about the Seminar for Globalization with JETs: https://www.soumu.go.jp/kokusai/kouryu_JET.html
(The PDF report in English is located at the bottom of the page.)
Lump-Sum Pension Withdrawal Payment
JET Programme participants finishing their term of appointment and returning to their home countries may be eligible to receive a pension refund (lump-sum withdrawal payment). For more information, please refer to page 194~203 of the General Information Handbook (GIH).
https://jetprogramme.org/en/gih/
Information is also available in English and Japanese on the following website:
Call for Writers for ‘JET Kara no Tegami’
CLAIR is searching for writers for the ‘JET Kara no Tegami’ (‘Letters from JETs’) column in its monthly serialised magazine, CLAIR Forum! In this column, participants share information about themselves and their activities during their appointment on the JET Programme. As CLAIR Forum is a Japanese publication distributed to local authorities and other relevant organisations, successful applicants will be asked to write one approximately 1600-character article in Japanese (about 800 English words).
Here are some examples of recent articles from JET Programme participants:
- https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_422/12_jetletter.pdf
- https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_423/14_jetletter.pdf
If you are interested in writing for CLAIR Forum, please email the following information to chousei@clair.or.jp:
- Name
- JET number
- Nationality
- Job type (ALT/CIR/SEA)
- Host Prefecture or Designated City
- Contracting Organisation
- Affiliation (department/school, etc.)
- Content you would like to write about, things you pride yourself on, etc.
- Additional documents, photos, etc. (optional)
If you are selected to write for CLAIR Forum, you will receive five copies of the magazine containing your article upon publication. CLAIR staff will correct your submissions, so please feel free to get in touch no matter your level of Japanese!
Please note that we may not be able to request articles from all applicants, as writers are selected to ensure a balance between article content, placement area, nationality, and other factors. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Back issues of CLAIR Forum are available here:
https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/index.html
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Grant
The 2024–2025 Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Grant for the second exam, which took place on 1 December 2024, is now open to JET Programme participants who have successfully passed the N1, N2, or N3 level of the JLPT. The grant reimburses the complete testing fee of 7,500 yen.
Details regarding eligibility and the application process can be found at the link below.
https://jetprogramme.org/en/jlpt/
Make sure to complete your application and send it through the online form before the 14 March 2025.
Any application sent past the deadline may be declined. Please be sure to apply as soon as possible.
Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
JET Programme participants may apply for online Japanese language courses offered by CLAIR.
Multiple new features have been added for 2024–2025, including JLPT practice tests, pronunciation practice, and the ability to participate in live review sessions. For detailed information about the application process and content, please check out the course guide on the JET Programme website (links below).
https://deli3.study.jp/?multi
https://jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/
Japanese Language Course Application Form:
https://bit.ly/2HfLvpv
Regarding unit deadlines: Each unit should be completed within one month to ensure the course is finished in a reasonable timeframe. However, the deadline for completing a course will automatically be extended for up to six months. For extensions beyond six months, you will need to contact the help desk.
Note: Questions about course content (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) may be submitted through the course provider website. A Japanese instructor will answer them. Please note that responses may take a few days.
Grant for TEFL/TESOL Certification
Please note that applications for the 2024–2025 TEFL/TESOL Grant closed on Friday, 14 February 2025 for this fiscal year.
2025–2026 Reappointment Procedures
The time for reappointment procedures has begun for the following participants: participants who arrived in Japan by the end of January 2025. Please begin the procedures after you receive the reappointment documents from your contracting organisation.
Please talk with friends, family, etc. and consult with your supervisor before making your decision. Changes cannot be made to reappointment decisions after the submission deadline.
All JET Programme participants should receive documentation regarding the reappointment procedures from their contracting organisations. Please read the documents carefully and consult with your supervisor if you have any questions. The reappointment documents will also be made accessible on the JET Programme website after the official notice to contracting organisations. Please refer to the link below.
https://jetprogramme.org/reappointment/
(Please check the email edition of CLAIR News for the latest password.)
More information about reappointment can be found in the GIH (pp. 68–73). Please note that the content of the GIH may differ from the reappointment documents provided by your contracting organisation. In that case, please prioritise the content in the documents provided by your contracting organisation.
Information for JET Programme Participants Ending their Term of Appointment
JET Programme participants finishing their appointments in 2025 should refer to CLAIR’s online After JET Guide for information about how to prepare for your successor, move out of your apartment, deal with reverse culture shock, and prepare for your next career move.
In addition, if you are finishing your term of appointment on the JET Programme this year and returning to your home country, please make sure you discuss travel arrangements with your contracting organisation as early as possible.
Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal
For JET Programme participants who arrived in April, it might be time to extend your period of stay, so please check the dates written on your residence card (especially JET Programme participants in their third year who will be reappointed for another term). For information on extending your period of stay or changing your status of residence, please refer to the Section 2.6 ‘Status of Residence’ in the General Information Handbook (GIH).
Enrolment in Property Insurance
Is your house or apartment covered by property insurance (kasai hoken)? If you do not know, please check with your contracting organisation supervisor.
There have been several cases where JET Programme participants were forced to pay for damages to not only their own but also their neighbours’ housing when there were water leaks or other problems. (If a water leak occurs, damage to the property of neighbours is covered by the JET Accident Insurance Policy Liability Endorsement, but damage to your own property, as well as damage to the structure or building, can only be covered by property insurance.)
Whether or not to purchase property insurance is the choice of the JET Programme participant. However, if found liable for damages, the costs can be very high. Therefore, CLAIR recommends that participants enrol in property insurance.
Although the majority of JET Programme participants live in rental properties, earthquake insurance may also be taken to account for the cost of lost household items, such as personal computers or TVs. Therefore, please take care to research a suitable form of insurance for your situation.
Home Country Taxes
Personal tax affairs in one’s home country are the responsibility of each JET Programme participant. Be sure to obtain and keep your gensen chōshūhyō, or Statement of Earnings, from your contracting organisation, as this may be necessary for filing your taxes abroad. Please refer to the General Information Handbook (GIH) for more details.
Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants
CLAIR maintains a webpage on the JET Programme website for embassies in Japan to post information for JET Programme participants from their country. Please check this page regularly for updates.
https://jetprogramme.org/en/embassyinformation/
Please note that CLAIR does not take responsibility for any of the information listed on this page. For enquiries regarding the information on this webpage, please contact the embassy in question directly.
Registering with Your Embassy
All JET Programme participants are strongly advised to register with their home country’s embassy or local consulate and/or through their embassy-run travel registration scheme while living in Japan. Your embassy may be able to help you and your relatives obtain necessary information and check on each other’s safety in times of emergency. Please check the website of your home country’s embassy or local consulate for more details:
JET Programme Official Social Media
CLAIR regularly shares information of interest to both current and former JET Programme participants on the following social media platforms. Be sure to follow us to stay informed about upcoming opportunities and updates!
- https://www.instagram.com/jet_programme/
